Whats Luck got to do with it?

We heard that comment often when we were getting prepared to go, while we were out there and when we returned. Luck indeed had a role to play but there’s a saying about luck that I hold dear,

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Get a Boat

We purchased our boat in October 2015 and shipped it from Ohio to Newfoundland. Our intent was to get her ready and spend the next summer exploring areas of Newfoundland we had not ventured into before. It would give us time to get to know Ingomar and allow Filbert an opportunity to get his sea legs back.

All the while, we dreamed of blue water sailing and constantly read about how others were doing it. We planned on doing it too, but we had a long-term plan, probably a 5-year plan. Then we bought a whiteboard.

Whiteboard

There’s another saying I like,

“Ink it, don’t think it.”

Along with our whiteboard we bought a calendar and one weekend, over several bottles of wine, we hatched a plan. On our whiteboard, we listed the big goals, and on the calendar we listed deadlines. We spent the entire weekend mapping out a long-term plan to get to a point where we could leave. Still five years out.

There were many things to tick off but that weekend the wheels were set in motion, mainly in our minds but more importantly in our actions. What we didn’t fully realize was that we were getting ready to go long-term sailing, sooner than later.

Spring plans

Come springtime we were in the water early. Keen to get to know our new boat, we spent a good month in cold temps, breaking ice off the lines in James Cove, teaching Filbert to tread carefully on the icy deck and eagerly welcoming the suns warmth on cool, clear mornings. We also spent many magical evenings cocooned in our cabin stirring up dreams of adventure.

Ingomar proved to be a great boat and the more we sailed her the more we loved her. We planned a trip to Notre Dame Bay, devising a plan to spend the major part of summer on the boat.

A cold morning in James Cove, NL – May, 2016

Opportunity knocks

As chance would have it an opportunity came out of the blue. In early June, I saw a window open and that’s when the light came in. On a whim, I offered our house up for rent, not thinking too much would come of it. Two days later the company called to say that someone was interested in viewing our house. On Monday I called Al to ask him if he’d be interested in showing our place. On Wednesday we showed it, and 10 days later we signed a rental agreement. 1 month later we gave our notices at work and on July 29 we headed south.

When we told some of our cruiser friends how long we had to get ready for our trip, many were shocked. But really, this didn’t happen in 8 weeks. Our overnight opportunity wasn’t created overnight, it was years in the making. In reality it would not have been possible if we had not worked towards our goal, constantly and consciously. We had dedicated many years to realizing our dream – we’d taught ourselves to sail, gone through 4 boats, moved and relocated often, all with one purpose in mind – to go sailing full time.

But more importantly, we had consciously committed to a goal. When the option to go opened up, we knew three things,

our boat was sound,

we were both ready and

Filbert was a sailor cat

message

And that is luck. You really can make your own. It takes commitment and determination but if you want something bad enough, then you just have to start working towards it. Make a list, buy a whiteboard, open that window.

You won’t be sorry.

June 10, 2016 – Here’s to luck, opportunity and preparation

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Author: tess

We, Al my husband, Filbert my cat and I, sailed our 37-foot Tartan to the Caribbean from Newfoundland in 2016-2017. We documented it on our blog, greatbigsail.com Today I continue to write about sailing, improve my photography skills, practice graphic design and dream about sailing.
View all posts by tess

6 thoughts on “Whats Luck got to do with it?”

I only just got around to reading your latest post.
It only makes sense, that planning takes years, then the preparation part, holy moly. Well done.
Your crew made it look like a walk in the park.
I’m just so thankful that you made a safe return. We all enjoyed your blog, including your spectacular photos.

Well thanks but it was a walk in the park, from my perspective. When you’re doing what you love, it doesn’t seem hard or boring, and maybe that’s why it worked out so well. Everything fell into place. Or the universe was unfolding as it should (I love that one) 🤩

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4 months agoby burkiemsWhen you grow up by the sea, you spend a good deal of time looking at the horizon. You wonder what on Earth the waves might bring - and where the sea might deposit you - until one day you know you have lived between two places, the scene of arrival and the point of departure. ~Andrew O'Hagan

4 months agoby burkiemsIn a time when most things are designed to make it just past the warranty expiry date, I am so happy to have found a company like Arcteryx that makes quality products and stands behind them. I own a lot of Arcteryx gear. I have base layers, mid-layers, shells and down and fleece, pants, dresses, shorts etc., and my husband also has a bunch of their stuff. I keep buying it because it is well made and lasts forever. And when something does fail, Arcteryx has a system where you can send it back to them for repair. I had

6 months agoby burkiemsExploring on a summers day, is typically awesome. Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada measures up to anything I've experienced. 365 islands, one for each day of the year. This is St Kierans, where there are two old church relics standing, easily accessible. Its very zen here. We were the only boat, with no-one in sight for miles. My husband spent hours trouting, 3 bald eagles watched intently. I explored the church remains, one of two. Another church, a stone church, dating back to 1843 was a sweet hike down the Blue Road, 1 mile over the oisland. #exploreNL#adventure#ingomar#cruisers

9 months agoby burkiemsBusy as bees in Springtime! But I had to take a sec to post a pic of the beauty tile work done on our small bath. Al is a master carpenter but I have to say, his tile work is pretty good too! This is a very small bathroom in our renovation project. Small bathrooms are tricky because you want them functional but also a little lux. This tile work gives the room a little zest and a glass enclosure will add the final touch. #reno#renovation#house#home#yyt#design#tiles#bath#makeover#hardwork#work#creative#notcarpentry